Huw Edwards to voice BBC 2012 Olympic Games coverage

London
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The BBC have announced that broadcaster Huw Edwards will be its lead presenter during the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics.

Edwards will be joined by a host of other presenters on BBC1 and BBC3, during the Corporation's television broadcasts of the London 2012 Olympics.

Edwards, 50, started his career in radio, working for the independent radio station Swansea Sound. Launched in 1974, Swansea Sound was the first local radio station to be set up in Wales. He left to join the BBC in 1984.

The Welsh-born journalist has been the main anchor on the BBC’s flagship news programme, Ten O’Clock News, since 2003. Since 2006, he has also presented BBC News at Five O’Clock.

In 2008, Edwards was the lead BBC commentator at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Earlier this year, Edwards was the lead presenter of the BBC’s Royal Wedding coverage, when HRH Prince William of Wales married Catherine Middleton.

From 4 p.m., the former tennis player and presenter of A Question of Sport, Sue Barker will take on presenting. She will hand over to Gary Lineker – the regular Match of the Day presenter and former national and international football player – who will oversee the BBC’s prime-time evening coverage.

Finally, Gabby Logan will round off events 10.35 p.m.

Meanwhile, on BBC3, Manish Bhasin, Rishi Persad and Sonali Shah will be on presenting duties from early morning, through the afternoon into early evening. Jake Humphrey will take over as anchor from 7 p.m. until end of coverage for the day.

In addition, Radio Times reports, “the BBC will also deliver 24 simultaneous live streams on the BBC Sport website [and] viewers can begin planning their Olympic viewing with the site’s session by session online guide at bbc.co.uk/2012.”

… as predicted in Doctor Who

As an interesting aside, Russell T Davies (Torchwood) predicted that Huw Edwards would be presenting the Corporation’s 2012 Olympic Games coverage way back in 2006 when he was in charge of the BBC-produced science-fiction drama series, Doctor Who. Edwards – credited as himself – appeared in Fear Her as the commentator at the opening ceremony of the Games. The story, written by Matthew Graham (Life on Mars), also starred David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose Tyler.

Further detail of line-ups for BBC Radio and other BBC TV channels is expected to be released shortly.